Sandworm
The sandworm was a native lifeform of the planet Arrakis. It lived in the vast sand dunes that stretched across the surface of the planet, and was a by-product of the same process that created the Spice Melange. Sandworms typically lurked beneath the sand, although occasionally they would surface. They were attracted to rhythmic vibrations, which perturbed them and would cause them to attack the source. They were sensitive to almost any vibration on the surface, from heavy machinery to human footsteps. Physical Characteristics Sandworms could grow to a huge size. Specimens up to 400 meters long were spotted by humans in the deep deserts of Arrakis. The creatures naturally lived to a great age, ranging in the thousands of years, unless killed by humans or other sandworms. In appearance their skin was thick and protective. It was comprised of many scales, each a few feet in size, that overlapped to form an armor to protect against sand abrasion. But as the Fremen discovered, prying one or more of the scales open would cause irritation to the sandworm. The sandworm would roll itself until the prone scale was at the highest point from the desert floor, to avoid sand getting trapped inside. This weakness was exploited by the Fremen to to ride the sandworms and control the direction and speed of the creature. As a result, wormriding became a viable method of transport for the Fremen across the surface of the planet. A sandworm's internal workings resembled that of a massive blast furnace, producing intense heat and flames that were visible when the worm would open its mouth. The mouth, which was positioned at the forward end of the creature, could easily consume large ground vehicles, including spice harvesters. A strong, flinty, cinnamon smell exuded from a sandworm, especially from the mouth. The sandworm was highly susceptible to water poisoning. Creation of Sandworms The sandworm was created when sandtrout banded together after massing on a store of water deep beneath the surface of Arrakis, and converted it into a liquid chemical that the sandworm was capable of digesting without being poisoned. This chemical would then erupt up to desert's surface in a pre-spice mass. The sandtrout that survived this event would then coalesce and metamorphasize into a young sandworm. Cultural Impact of the Sandworm Up until the ascendancy of Paul Atreides to Emperor, the sandworm had virtually no direct impact on the humanity outside Arrakis. Yet to the planet's Fremen population it was a spiritual symbol of their faith, who saw the creatures as physical embodiments of the One God of their original Zensunni religion. Within Fremen culture the sandworm had several additional names, notably Shai-Hulud, which variously meant Old Man of the Desert, Old Father Eternity, or Grandfather of the Desert, as well as alluding to its perceived deific qualities. Young sandworms were also sought by the Fremen for special ceremonies. When poisoned with water, the young sandworm would die, but not before it exuded bile and expelled it through its mouth. This liquid, known to the Fremen as the Water of Life, was used to induct new Sayyadinas, or wild reverend mothers. The toxic liquid forced the prospective reverend mother to either alter the water to make it fit for human consumption, or die. During this process dormant genetic memories and other abilities would be activated, heralding the creation of a new reverend mother. After the rise of the Atreides Empire and the propagation of the Arrakis-variant of the Zensunni religion across the known universe, the reverence paid to the sandworm spread to other worlds. The importance of the sandworm in spice production was revealed to all. This continued through the rule of Leto Atreides II, in no small part because of his merger with sandtrout to form a hybrid human-sandworm being. Decline of the Sandworm The terraforming of Arrakis posed a grave risk to the sandworm, which found life outside the arid desert poisonous. The terraforming reversal process had begun by the end of Leto's reign, and he himself devolved back into sandtrout at his death. These events saw the sandworm once again thrive on Arrakis for a few thousand years. During Leto II's reign some smaller sandworms were also removed and shipped off with colonizing vessels during the Scattering. This exercise yielded questionable success. The hostile actions taken by the Honored Matres saw the termination of all life on Arrakis, including the remaining sandworms. However, this was not before a Duncan Idahoghola and Sheanna Atreides had managed to spirit away a few of the creatures, which accompanied them on their escape from the unified Bene Gesserit/Honored Matres organization and into uncharted space. Category:Creatures Category:Arrakis Category:Fremen